The National Park Service is launching a pilot program to boost cellular coverage and Internet connectivity in some of the last places people might hope to get away from it all.

The test in five parks could launch as early as this summer. The short list includes 10 to 12 parks, National Park Service spokesman Jeffrey Olson said.

Rocky Mountain National Park is not on the list, he said, but he’s not sure if Mesa Verde National Park is included.

“It would probably be a couple of seasons before we make any decisions” about expansion of the program, he said. “We would, of course, welcome public input. We’re guessing that there will be interest from the public, and we will have formal input processes.”

The plan is being pursued by the park service in cooperation with the National Park Hospitality Association, which represents parks concessionaires.

Proponents say the plan is not to wire every nook and cranny of the 59 national parks. Instead, the emphasis is on boosting cellphone and Internet coverage at park entrances, lodges, visitor centers and major traffic corridors.

“We’re not wiring the backcountry,” Olson said. “We know people are going to be worried about solitude in the parks. This is a pilot project, and we are aware of some criticisms already.”

The strongest gripe so far comes from the 10,000-member Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a service organization representing people who work in pollution control, land management and public health agencies.

“These facilities being put up are private facilities to serve commercial subscribers, so it’s private use of public land, and it impacts park values,” PEER executive director Jeff Ruch said Thursday. “Among the values are solitude. If you are going to get away from it all, you don’t want to be disturbed by what we call the incessant chirping of the cellphones of people ordering pizza or talking to their stockbroker. There are also safety concerns, with distracted drivers.”

Derrick Crandall, counselor to the NPHA, said better connectivity is demanded by contemporary travelers, old and young, who are increasingly less inclined to leave their favorite technology at home.

He said Wi-Fi hot spots at park entrances and visitor centers would allow people to download up-to-the-minute information on the park, rather than be handed a bundle of generic pamphlets and fliers.

“Those are often printed up to a year in advance and might talk about Rocky Mountain National Park in the most generic terms,” Crandall said. “Instead, people will now be able to download an app that tells them about the trails, the status of the trails, the weather and what they should be doing in terms of preparing for their experience.”

Spokeswoman Kyle Patterson said Wi-Fi is already available at Beaver Meadows and Kawuneeche visitor centers at Rocky Mountain National Park.

Less-conspicuous, directional antennas, Crandall said, are eliminating the need for intrusive towers and should mitigate concerns of visual pollution in wilderness areas.

“If somebody wants a Domino’s pizza delivered out of Estes Park and they are sitting up there 2 miles off the trail, they’re not going to be able to do that,” Crandall said. “But, on the other hand, if someone hits an elk and they need to alert somebody and they’re driving along the road, they’re going to be able to make an instant call.”

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